defiance struggling with the confusion in his face.

"I believe," stammered Brantain, "I see that I have stayed too long.



I--I had no idea--that is, I must wish you good-by." He was clutching

his hat with both hands, and probably did not perceive that she was



extending her hand to him, her presence of mind had not completely

deserted her; but she could not have trusted herself to speak.



"Hang me if I saw him sitting there, Nattie! I know it's

deuced awkward for you. But I hope you'll forgive me this



once--this very first break. Why, what's the matter?"

"Don't touch me; don't come near me," she returned angrily.



"What do you mean by entering the house without ringing?"

"I came in with your brother, as I often do," he answered



coldly, in self-justification. "We came in the side way. He went

upstairs and I came in here hoping to find you. The explanation is



simple enough and ought to satisfy you that the misadventure was

unavoidable. But do say that you forgive me, Nathalie," he



entreated, softening.

"Forgive you! You don't know what you are talking about. Let



me pass. It depends upon--a good deal whether I ever forgive you."

At that next reception which she and Brantain had been talking



about she approached the young man with a deliciousfrankness of

manner when she saw him there.



"Will you let me speak to you a moment or two, Mr. Brantain?"

she asked with an engaging but perturbed smile. He seemed



extremely unhappy; but when she took his arm and walked

away with him, seeking a retired corner, a ray of hope



mingled with the almost comicalmisery of his expression.

She was apparently very outspoken.



"Perhaps I should not have sought this interview, Mr.

Brantain; but--but, oh, I have been very uncomfortable, almost



miserable since that little encounter the other afternoon. When I

thought how you might have misinterpreted it, and believed things"



--hope was plainly gaining the ascendancy over misery in Brantain's

round, guileless face--"Of course, I know it is nothing to you, but



for my own sake I do want you to understand that Mr. Harvy is an

intimate friend of long standing. Why, we have always been like



cousins--like brother and sister, I may say. He is my brother's

most intimateassociate and often fancies that he is entitled to



the same privileges as the family. Oh, I know it is absurd,

uncalled for, to tell you this; undignified even," she was almost



weeping, "but it makes so much difference to me what you think

of--of me." Her voice had grown very low and agitated. The misery had



all disappeared from Brantain's face.

"Then you do really care what I think, Miss Nathalie? May I



call you Miss Nathalie?" They turned into a long, dim corridor that

was lined on either side with tall, graceful plants. They walked



slowly to the very end of it. When they turned to retrace their

steps Brantain's face was radiant and hers was triumphant.



Harvy was among the guests at the wedding; and he sought her

out in a rare moment when she stood alone.



"Your husband," he said, smiling, "has sent me over to kiss

you. "



A quick blush suffused her face and round polished throat. "I

suppose it's natural for a man to feel and act generously on an



occasion of this kind. He tells me he doesn't want his marriage to

interrupt wholly that pleasant intimacy which has existed between



you and me. I don't know what you've been telling him," with an

insolent smile, "but he has sent me here to kiss you."



She felt like a chess player who, by the clever handling of

his pieces, sees the game taking the course intended. Her eyes



were bright and tender with a smile as they glanced up into his;

and her lips looked hungry for the kiss which they invited.



"But, you know," he went on quietly, "I didn't tell him

so, it would have seemed ungrateful, but I can tell you. I've



stopped kissing women; it's dangerous."

Well, she had Brantain and his million left. A person can't



have everything in this world; and it was a little unreasonable of

her to expect it.



A Pair of Silk Stockings

Little Mrs. Sommers one day found herself the unexpected



possessor of fifteen dollars. It seemed to her a very large amount

of money, and the way in which it stuffed and bulged her worn old



porte-monnaie gave her a feeling of importance such as she had

not enjoyed for years.

• fasten [´fɑ:sən] v.扎牢；闩住；钉牢 (初中英语单词)


• suspicion [sə´spiʃən] n.怀(猜)疑；嫌疑 (初中英语单词)


• observation [,ɔbzə´veiʃən] n.观测；注意；意义 (初中英语单词)


• freely [´fri:li] ad.自由地；慷慨地 (初中英语单词)


• whisper [´wispə] v.耳语 n.低语；沙沙声 (初中英语单词)


• impulse [´impʌls] n.推动(力)；冲动；刺激 (初中英语单词)


• sensible [´sensəbəl] a.感觉得到的 (初中英语单词)


• wholly [´həul-li] ad.完全，十足；统统 (初中英语单词)


• suggestion [sə´dʒestʃən] n.建议，提议；暗示 (初中英语单词)


• dislike [dis´laik] vt.&n.不喜爱，厌恶 (初中英语单词)


• deserve [di´zə:v] v.应受；值得 (初中英语单词)


• overcome [,əuvə´kʌm] vt.战胜，克服 (初中英语单词)


• healthy [´helθi] a.健康的 (初中英语单词)


• occasionally [ə´keiʒənəli] ad.偶然地；非经常地 (初中英语单词)


• conceal [kən´si:l] vt.藏；隐瞒 (初中英语单词)


• eagerly [´i:gəli] ad.渴望地，急切地 (初中英语单词)


• waiting [´weitiŋ] n.等候；伺候 (初中英语单词)


• suspect [´sʌspekt, sə´spekt] v.怀疑；觉得 n.嫌疑犯 (初中英语单词)


• amusement [ə´mju:zmənt] n.娱乐；文娱设施 (初中英语单词)


• confusion [kən´fju:ʒən] n.混乱(状态)；骚乱 (初中英语单词)


• perceive [pə´si:v] vt.察觉；看出；领悟 (初中英语单词)


• forgive [fə´giv] vt.原谅，谅解，宽恕 (初中英语单词)


• explanation [,eksplə´neiʃən] n.解释；说明；辩解 (初中英语单词)


• delicious [di´liʃəs] a.美味的，可口的 (初中英语单词)


• unhappy [ʌn´hæpi] a.不幸的；不快乐的 (初中英语单词)


• misery [´mizəri] n.痛苦；悲惨；穷困 (初中英语单词)


• interview [´intəvju:] n.&vt.接见；会见；交谈 (初中英语单词)


• encounter [in´kauntə] vt.&n.偶然相遇；冲突 (初中英语单词)


• plainly [´pleinli] ad.平坦地；简单地 (初中英语单词)


• standing [´stændiŋ] n.持续 a.直立的 (初中英语单词)


• intimate [´intimit] a.亲密的 n.知己 (初中英语单词)


• associate [ə´səuʃieit] v.联合a.同伴的n.伙伴 (初中英语单词)


• graceful [´greisfəl] a.优美的，流畅的 (初中英语单词)


• wedding [´wediŋ] n.婚礼，结婚 (初中英语单词)


• throat [θrəut] n.咽喉；嗓子；出入口 (初中英语单词)


• player [´pleiə] n.游戏的人；选手 (初中英语单词)


• penetrate [´penitreit] v.贯穿；穿透；渗透 (高中英语单词)


• tenderly [´tendəli] ad.娇嫩地；柔和地 (高中英语单词)


• toilet [´tɔilit] n.梳妆(台)；卫生间 (高中英语单词)


• gravel [´grævəl] n.砾石 vt.铺砾石 (高中英语单词)


• unpleasant [ʌn´plezənt] a.不愉快的；不合意的 (高中英语单词)


• genuine [´dʒenjuin] a.真正的；真诚的 (高中英语单词)


• saying [´seiŋ, ´sei-iŋ] n.言语；言论；格言 (高中英语单词)


• sensitive [´sensitiv] a.敏感的；感光的 (高中英语单词)


• temptation [temp´teiʃən] n.引诱，诱惑(物) (高中英语单词)


• respectable [ri´spektəbəl] a.可敬的；有身价的 (高中英语单词)


• indifferent [in´difrənt] a.不关心的；中立的 (高中英语单词)


• reception [ri´sepʃən] n.接待；欢迎；招待会 (高中英语单词)


• stride [straid] n.进展 v.跨过；骑 (高中英语单词)


• newcomer [´nju:,kʌmə] n.新来的人；移民 (高中英语单词)


• awkward [´ɔ:kwəd] a.笨拙的；为难的 (高中英语单词)


• apparently [ə´pærəntli] ad.显然，表面上地 (高中英语单词)


• uncomfortable [ʌn´kʌmftəbəl] a.不舒服的，不自在的 (高中英语单词)


• corridor [´kɔridɔ:] n.走廊；指定航路 (高中英语单词)


• radiant [´reidiənt] a.发光的 n.光源(体) (高中英语单词)


• commotion [kə´məuʃən] n.混乱；骚动 (英语四级单词)


• commonplace [´kɔmənpleis] a.平凡的；常见的 (英语四级单词)


• vaguely [´veigli] ad.含糊地，暖昧地 (英语四级单词)


• strenuous [´strenjuəs] a.费力的；奋发的 (英语四级单词)


• delighted [di´laitid] a.高兴的；喜欢的 (英语四级单词)


• obscurity [əb´skjuəriti] n.暗(淡)；朦胧；含糊 (英语四级单词)


• composed [kəm´pəuzd] a.镇静自若的 (英语四级单词)


• insignificant [,insig´nifikənt] a.无意义的；无价值的 (英语四级单词)


• ardent [´ɑ:dənt] a.热心的；热情洋溢的 (英语四级单词)


• generously [´dʒenərəsli] ad.慷慨地 (英语四级单词)


• intimacy [´intiməsi] n.亲密；熟悉；秘密 (英语四级单词)


• unreasonable [ʌn´ri:zənəbl] a.不合理的；荒唐的 (英语四级单词)


• cravat [krə´væt] n.领带；围巾 (英语六级单词)


• overwork [,əuvə´wə:k] v.(使)劳累n.过分劳累 (英语六级单词)


• intimately [´intimitli] ad.密切地；熟悉地 (英语六级单词)


• frankness [´fræŋknis] n.坦白，直率，真诚 (英语六级单词)


• retired [ri´taiəd] a.退休的；通职的 (英语六级单词)


• comical [´kɔmikəl] a.好笑的；怪里怪气的 (英语六级单词)


• taking [´teikiŋ] a.迷人的 n.捕获物 (英语六级单词)